As St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her faces an investigation into allegations that she sexually harassed city employees, Alpha News obtained text messages revealing she believed men she encountered through her professional and political life ended up developing romantic feelings for her.
“The nature of my work requires a lot of love and passion otherwise the work is too heavy to carry and the burden too great. I run across this with men more frequently but men will sometimes mistaken it for more. I think they end up falling in love with me so I have to set very clear boundaries,” Her wrote in text messages to Shirly Yang in the spring of 2025 while serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
The messages were later submitted as exhibits in support of a harassment restraining order petition filed by Yang, who alleged that Her engaged in a pattern of unwanted communications, intimidation and interference in Yang’s personal and professional life.
In January 2026, the same month Her was sworn in as St. Paul’s first female and first Hmong mayor, a Ramsey County court referee denied Yang’s petition, finding the evidence did not meet the legal standard required to issue a harassment restraining order.
Now, as Her faces a separate investigation into allegations of sexual harassment following a complaint filed by St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry, the messages provide additional insight into the mayor’s views on relationships and professional boundaries.
The messages also surface as competing narratives emerge about the investigation.
KSTP reported Monday night that Her and Henry had longstanding disagreements over several issues before the chief filed his complaint and quoted a former St. Paul City Council member who questioned whether the allegations had been overstated.
Chris Madel, the attorney representing Henry, rejected that characterization in a post on X and reiterated his criticism in a statement to Alpha News.
“It’s bullshit, and they know it,” Madel said. “Unlike these clowns, Chief Henry has put his life on the line to protect people. And now he’s putting himself out there again to protect others. So what does the Mayor Her crew do? Blame the victims.”
St. Paul police chief files sexual harassment complaint against Mayor Her
Last week, Alpha News reported that Mayor Her is under investigation following allegations by Chief Henry that she sexually harassed subordinate city employees, including members of the St. Paul Police Department.
According to an April 1 letter obtained by Alpha News, Henry said he decided to become a formal complainant only after learning the alleged misconduct extended beyond isolated incidents. The letter, written by Madel to St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao, alleges Her sent “inappropriate, and, indeed, unlawful” text messages to city employees and calls for a thorough, independent investigation.
The letter states Henry came forward because he believed employees could face retaliation if the alleged conduct went unaddressed and said his decision to file the complaint was based solely on principle and concern for city employees.
As one example, the letter includes a screenshot of a text message referencing “Weiner Wednesday” alongside a partially redacted image with an accompanying caption that reads: “When she wraps you up in her blanket after you gave her a good weinering,” followed by two laughing emojis.
Madel later stated that the redacted image depicted the face of a St. Paul police officer.
A moron associated with @MinnPost and @PioneerPress, Dan Maruska, is emailing media stating that below image was the St. Paul Mayor's simple reproduction of a meme. False. The actual text was altered to include the face of a St. Paul police officer. #Facts #DoYourJob pic.twitter.com/nNzhfFhdma
— Chris Madel (@CWMadel) July 29, 2026
Madel argued the message illustrates the need for the city to preserve evidence, including by conducting a full forensic extraction of the mayor’s mobile phones.
Mayor Her’s office and the City of St. Paul did not respond to Alpha News’ requests for comment. In statements provided to other media outlets, however, Her said, in part, “I recognize that some of my attempts at humor fell short of the standard I expect of myself.”
Other allegations
The allegations outlined by Chief Henry are not the only claims that have surfaced regarding Her’s conduct.
According to reporting by the Star Tribune, a former high-ranking St. Paul police deputy chief told investigators that, shortly after Her took office, the mayor approached her in the police department’s gym and locker room area and commented on the size of her own breasts before complimenting the deputy chief’s breasts. The deputy chief and Her were not close acquaintances, according to the report.
The Star Tribune also reported allegations that Her altered framed photographs of senior police officials displayed in department offices by placing copies of her official mayoral portrait over some of the officers’ faces. The newspaper further reported that Her posted an edited image depicting shirtless UFC fighters with the faces of St. Paul police officers, including Chief Henry, digitally superimposed onto the fighters’ bodies.
Separately, KARE 11 reported allegations that Her positioned herself in front of police officers in the department’s weight room and made sexually suggestive noises while stretching.
Her: ‘I am a demisexual’
In the text exchanges with Yang, Her said she had undergone what she described as an “akashic reading” and wrote that the psychic concluded “at the core of who I am is love.”
Her goes on to write that her “love is intense” and that she has “soul mates, kindred spirits, and twin flames.”
Her also writes that she is “demisexual” and says she does not experience sexual attraction unless she has formed a deep emotional bond with someone.
Her and her husband, Kong, have two daughters. She did not respond to a request for comment.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
